Vermilion Power Station

Vermilion Power Station is a coal-fired power station owned and operated by Dynegy near Oakwood, Illinois.

Plant Data

 * Owner: Dynegy Midwest Generation
 * Parent Company: Dynegy
 * Plant Nameplate Capacity: 182 MW (Megawatts)
 * Units and In-Service Dates: 74 MW (1955), 109 MW (1956)
 * Location: 10188 East 2150 North Rd., Oakwood, IL 61858
 * GPS Coordinates: 40.178055, -87.748055
 * Coal Consumption:
 * Coal Source:
 * Number of Employees:

Vermillion to close in first quarter 2011
On Dec. 28, 2010, Dynegy announced that it plans to mothball its Vermilion Power Station in Illinois in the first quarter of 2011. Factors influencing the company’s decision, according to a news release from Dynegy, include the relatively small size of the facility, older technologies and coal delivery challenges that lead to high production costs, as well as weak electricity demand, low prices for power and uncertainties over future regulation. Vermilion’s coal is transported from western states by rail to Danville and then trucked to the Vermilion site. This is the most significant factor leading to Vermilion’s higher production costs, according to the news release.

Emissions Data

 * 2006 CO2 Emissions: 980,316 tons
 * 2006 SO2 Emissions:
 * 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
 * 2006 NOx Emissions:
 * 2005 Mercury Emissions:

Illinois Power Company and Dynegy Midwest Generation settlement
On March 7, 2005 the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. EPA along with the State of Illinois announced a settlement between Illinois Power Company and its sucesscor, Dynegy, addressing alleged violations of New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act at company's Baldwin Energy Station. The EPA noted that sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions at the plant will decrease by 54,000 tons each year through the installation of approximately $500 million worth of new pollution control equipment. In addition to the Baldwin Generating Station, the Havana Power Station, Hennepin Power Station and Vermilion Power Station, Wood River Station were involved in the settlement.

The EPA stated that this "settlement requires installation of four new flue gas desulfurization devices (scrubbers) to control SO2; four new baghouses to control particulate matter (soot); and operation of existing control equipment, including three selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, year-round to control NOx. The entire five-plant system will be subject to annual emission caps to assure that significant system-wide reductions for both SO2 and NOx are achieved."

Coal Waste Site

 * Vermilion Power Station East Ash Pond
 * Vermilion Power Station North Ash Pond

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * EPA Coal Plant Settlements
 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Illinois and coal
 * Dynegy
 * United States and coal
 * Global warming